Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-05
EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY.
The Death Sentence Of John VI. Par
raft, Formerly Resident of Sher-
man, Tex, COMMITTED.
He Goes to the Penitentiary for Five Years.
Five Other Prisoners to Hang
January ID.
Special to the Gazette.


from Washington has been received
announcing that the president has
committed the death sentence Of
John W. Parratt, who was to have
been hanged on the 14th of tie
present month, to FIVE years imprison.
ment. Parratt was looking for en- un.
conditional pardon, as such had been
recommended by Attorney General Gar.
land. This leaves but five to hang on the
l4th-McCarty, Echols, Odell, Lamb and
Stephens.
No case ever tried before the United
States district court for the Western dis
trict of Arkansas has attracted more at
tention in different parts of the country
than that of John W. Parratt, who was
convicted on the 18th of last March of
murder in the first degree for the killing
of old mau McAdsms and his son Louis
at Erin Springs, Chickasaw nation, on the
18th of July, 1885. Parratt never denied
the killing, but claimed that he did it
purely in self-defense. 1t was
shown at the trial that Nc
Adams and Parratt were engaged
building house in partnership, and they
disagreed in a settlement while yet at
work on the building; that in the fore
noon on the day of the killing McAdams
mad threatened to kill Parratt before sun
down. When Parratt returned to work
after dinner he armed himself with pis-
tol, evidently anticipating trouble. Dur
ing the evening the quarrel of the morning
was renewed and Parratt shot twice at
the old man, one shot proving fatal. Just
ha fra ha 10 81 cbot FOL n
attacked him from behind with a knife,
cutting him two or three times, when
Parratt used the pistol on him also
with fatal effect. No one witnessed the
shooting of the old man save Louis Nc
Adams and Parratt himself, bu. there
was one man who saw the struggle be-
tween Parratt and young McAdams, hav-
ing been attracted by the first shooting.
Old man McAdsms fell outside the house
through window and died Immediately,
while the boy lived until the next day.
Parratt claimed that the old man was sd-
Vancing on him with a hand-ax when he
shot him, and that after receiving the
shot he turned to get out OF the window,
and fell as he was so doing. Two
witnesses, however, testified that the
old man was shot IN the
back, the ball coming out through the
breast. which was strong point in favor
Of the prosecution, who pressed the
theory that McAdsms was endeavoring to
avoid being shot by getting out through
the window, and was killed while SO do
ing. In support Of this theory, the fact
that M:AdamS was unarmcd was strongly
urged, showing that if he had intended
to carry out his threat and kill Parratt
before shutdown, he had made no prepar-
atoms for so doing, and that as he was
shot in the back he could not have been
advancing on him With 8 hand-aX. On
this evidence Parratt was convicted, and
IN April last filed motion
for new trial. In support of this mo-
ton his attorneys obtained the affidavit of
Dr.. Watterson, who attended to the boy
and examined the old man after the kill
ing, but was not able to be present at the
trial. In this affidavit he mlnutely de-
scribed the wound that caused McAdams'
death, stating that the ball had entered
the breast and come out at the back. The
motion was argued and the court took
the matter under consideration until the
latter part of October, when it was over
ruled aud the defendant sentenced to be
hanged on the l4th of January. Pending
the motion, two aftidavits were fled con
tradicting the statement of the
physician, in which the wit
nesses testified that they assisted DR..
Watterson in his examination of the
body, and that he then said the old man
was shot in the back, and explained why
ne knew it to be so. Had the doctor
Teen present at che trial and testified
according TO his affidavit, Parratt would
not have been convicted of a higher
crime than maDslaughter at best, and on
this gound, after receiving sentence, his
attorneys began to work for a pardon.
He was Endorsed by numerous prominent
persons in Kentucky and Texas, where he
mad lived as Woodworking, upright man,
and petitions were widely circulated and
signed in both states, as well as at this
place, in support of his pardon.
He has a brother and other
relatives in Kentucky, and ex-Gov. Nc
Creary of that state interested himself in
behalf of the condemned, having known
him and his people for years. Other in
fuential persons in Texas prevailed upon
their representatives in congress to lend
their aid, and even went so far as to get
the commanding officer at Fort Sill, near
where the killing occurred, to personally
investigate the case, which he did, and
sent on report very favorable to Parratt,
and thus the interference of the president
was secured. When Judge Parker over
ruled the motion for new trial he sup
ported his decision by reasonable
arguments based on the evil
dence introduced at the trial.
Parratt has been in Jail here about seven
teen months, and was in custody at Fort
Sill for a short time before being brought
here. He is wid0wer, and has two
children in Sherman, Tex, which has
been his home for some years. He has
held no well during his long confinement,
always being cheerful and hopeful, SAYING
ne was innocent of murder, and did moth
ing more than any other man would have
done under like circumstances. Since re-
ceiying sentence, he has been the recipient
of many cheering and sympathetic letters,
indicating that he had many friends where
he was known.